Endless Summer I: Beneath Those Stars
by Emilie-Joya
Summary: Ten students of Hartfeld are stranded on La Huerta, with not a soul in sight. But nothing could have predicted how much their survival depended on their trust in one another, and Max must be the one to forge it. JakexF!MC Slowburn
1. Act I - This Must Be Heaven

**Author's Note**: To all Choices/Endless Summer fans (and absolutely newcomers), hello! This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, but this book will only be 'fan fiction' to a certain extent. I'd call it a novelization. The story follows the same overarching narrative as it does in the game, except it is now written in book format. Character thoughts are expanded upon, more believable backstories are given, loopholes are eliminated, and fun little tidbits I thought would give more life to the world and character were also included, as well as some dialogue changes.

In this story, the main character's name is Maxine Cohen, an outdoorsy type with a love for marine life, who is not yet too confident in her people skills but makes do with what she has. Initially, she doesn't come off as the natural leader type, instead favoring to hand that role over to others. But she slowly grows into the role over the course of the books. You know, the one that ties the group together? Yes.

The route I am taking here is Jake, so do not get discouraged when you find them bickering at first, and Max immediately crushing on Sean! It's to add more believability to the story. I find that conflict bonds characters more than they know, so their relationship starts out a bit rocky, but it's a slow-burn that'll be worth the wait, I promise!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so please don't be shy to leave a review!

With further ado, enjoy!

* * *

**Act I, Chapter One: **

**This Must Be Heaven**

_Trees with strange flora and fungi enveloped us. Bits of sunlight peeked through cracks of a densely populated jungle and voices, panicked and desperate, rang in my ears. I sank to my knees into the shrubbery, but I didn't know why. "Stay down. It's coming this way," a voice hissed. I turned to see it come from a man with a scruffy nine o'clock shadow hunched beside me. He was a stranger, yet looked strangely familiar in a way I couldn't put my finger on. But not a moment later, the jungle vanished._

"_Max, give me your hand!" called out another voice, now coming from another guy closer my age. He donned a white and blue polo shirt, his skin a warm brown and his face curiously distorted by fear, similar to the man with the beard. He had his hand outstretched towards me, when I noticed the change in my surroundings. _

_The jungle had given way to a monotone concrete building, which looked to be a warehouse of some sort. Max.. Was that me? Right. I felt myself instinctively reaching out to him._

_When the warehouse faded, I instead felt an unpleasant warmth brush against my face. "You don't understand, do you?'' came a third voice. This time, it was an older gentleman that addressed me. He was attired in a brown suit and clutching its collar condescendingly, pacing around the edge of what seemed to be molten lava, its red hue illuminating the night air. It sputtered and boiled malevolently, but the man seemed to ignore its presence entirely. _

"_No, how could you? But just give it time.." he smiled, although it was clear his intent was malicious as it dripped with latent disdain._

* * *

The plane shuddered and abruptly jolted me awake. I sat a moment in the company of white noise while the remnants of the dream ebbed away, like my senses needed time to adjust. My eyelids narrowed to slits as they grew accustomed to the bright beams of light that shone through the windows of the aircraft.

From my seat, I watched an infinite sheet of dark blue expand endlessly. It was the ocean, unmoving as it has always been. It looked like a picturesque photo, one you set as your computer wallpaper. I exhaled a breath of awe.

From the seat beside me, I watched the corners of Diego's lips lift into a dopey smile.

"Morning there," he said, a slight grin crossing his face as I struggled to regain my wits.

I blinked wearily, my chest rising with a deep inhale.

"I'm not still dreaming, am I?"

"Can't believe it either, huh? But we're finally on our way! Let us make this the adventure that'll stay with us forever."

The small plane brimmed with the chatter of the lucky ten. All students from Hartfeld University, home to the brightest and most promising— or so they liked to advertise. We were winners of a lottery of which the prize was a week in paradise at a luxurious resort on an island in the middle of the Caribbean. A good chunk of eager Hartfeld undergraduates entered, and miraculously, both Diego and I were picked from the lot. I barely spared the others time to chit-chat at the airport, unlike Diego. Out of all the students, I only knew Raj, who, despite my standoffish debut, offered to help me lift some of my bags into the overhead compartment just before leaving. There was also Craig Hsiao, one of our college football players.

My ears twitched when a voice piped up to my right. It was a girl with brilliant ginger hair, gushing about the tropical island to the friend beside her. She exuded a certain enthusiasm that seemed to come naturally to her. Long hair cascaded down her back, with portion slung over her shoulder and looping comically as if it had just been curled by a curling iron. She had her white button-up shirt knotted together at her waist and her cheeks, in contrast to her otherwise pale skin, were red with child-like excitement.

"All expenses paid! Hell, that can't get any better, can it?" I heard Craig shout from a few rows ahead, loud enough for the whole plane to hear. I could spot his hair, spiked upwards through the use of far too much gel, peeking out above the seats. Craig was notorious for proudly wearing a dull orange and white varsity jacket which proudly displayed a large 'H' for Hartfeld, which I guessed he must either never wash, or have about five pairs of.

"Yup. Student debt got me so bad I can barely afford me instant ramen," replied Raj with his characteristically infectious grin. He was a gentle giant with a paunchy structure, curly black hair, and kind, round eyes that briefly flashed with recognition when he met my own in passing.

I sensed Diego nudging my side. "Hey, Max? You zoned out there. Bad dream?" I snapped back to reality.

"Not bad, just really weird," I quickly replied, rubbing at my temples to massage a growing headache away. "It was this strange jungle where I saw these people, right—"

I noticed I lost Diego's attention a moment as he peered over the back of our seats. "Oh, sorry, little commotion, I think." An argument, I guessed, following his gaze.

"So, what were you saying, M—"

My eyes caught a familiar face just then, forcing me wide awake. "..That's him!"

I recognized the guy getting up from his seat and meandering up the aisle. It was one of the people I had seen in my dream, with rugged, handsome features and a robust build. He donned the same polo T-shirt as he did in the warehouse, which was odd, since I don't think I'd ever met him before. His eyes wrinkled whenever he smiled, which seemed to be most of the time. A blush inadvertently crept up my cheeks. He was criminally attractive, despite the glaring dark circles beneath his eyes and uneven dimples flanking his grin.

"Sean Gayle? Expensive taste. Well, can't let the future love of your life slip through your fingers, can you?" Diego said, and without warning, drove me out my seat and into the aisle, right as Sean Gayle cruised by.

"Oh, my bad!" he apologized when I collided with him, to which I blinked stupidly and threw Diego a frustrated, desperate look. "She has something to say," he said, just as he discreetly fished out his brand new camcorder.

By then, a wave of self-consciousness had wafted over me. I suddenly became hyper-aware of my appearance. I stood dull in a plain red tank top that was stained maroon with sweat, a cheap gold necklace hanging from my neck that Diego got me from a drugstore, and thighs chafed red from the denim shorts that stuck to my legs from the heat.

Before I had the chance to pass off Diego's comment, I threw out the first thing that came to me.

"I _just_ dreamed about you."

"Oh, really? Must've been a good sleep you had, then." Sean's smile lingered, which put my nerves at ease.

"Well, it was slightly terrifying, actually." Sean raised a brow at that, which begged for an explanation. "But not because of you!"

"Don't worry. I won't take offense," he offered me a rictus grin as he slipped past.

I slumped into my seat with furrowed brows, defeated. Diego lowered the camera. "Oh man, got all that on video. You've _gotta_ see the look on your face just now."

"Please tell me you won't post that anywhere," I replied, sinking further into my seat.

Diego even cluttered his phone's gallery with pictures of us. I vividly remember the exact moment he snapped a silly one where I'd just stuffed some day-old spaghetti into my face after a long night of food poisoning.

"Of course not. I'm not a psychopath," Diego rolled his eyes as he tucked away the camcorder in favor of his phone before landing his attention on the time. "Huh.." Diego peered down at his phone, puzzled. "5:15 PM already? But we should have landed an hour ago.. and you weren't snoring _that_ long," he commented to himself.

"I'll go check in with the pilot. Wait here," I told him, and stood once more, making my way up the aisle. I passed by the other students, who were all chirping happily without a care in the world, and caught snippets of their conversations.

"Excuse me, but _please_ tone down your obnoxious babbling for once!" I noticed the pale guy leveling himself against his chair as I passed by. "The guide is trying to speak!"

He was lanky of stature and had platinum blonde, slicked-back hair, and thin features that were drawn into a slight frown. He appeared to be losing the battle of trying to conceal the growing irritation. With that snobbish attitude, I found it easy to dislike him. His clothes, attitude, and haughty accent practically screamed _spoiled_.

I considered myself a hard worker. The type to turn down midnight trips to McDonald's with Diego and his roommates to study for exams instead. I got in on merit. It was never handed to me, so I'd be lying if I said I didn't judge people like Aleister.

"Ah, thank you, Aleister!" Lila said, the jovial tour guide sent by Rourke International and one you can't reasonably accuse of not being dedicated to her job. She carried a joyful air about her, but differently than the redheaded girl did. I stopped to listen.

"As your tour guide for the week, I just want to say we should all try to get along! We are, after all, stuck on an island together, beautiful as it may be!" Lila clasped her hands together with a resounding clap and grinned. Passing us each a glance, she had set both hands on her hips after a quick straightening of her bright yellow Rourke International polo shirt, on which a blue whirlpool symbol was neatly embroidered. "..And I would hate for us to not enjoy ourselves!"

"Where's the emergency hatch? I'm _this_ close taking an early exit out of here," I heard another girl mumble, who then turned her head to the side and adopted a disinterested gaze as she stared out into the nearby window.

The side of her head and styled into a neat, purple-streaked undercut. She sported a pierced left ear and eyebrow, which very much complemented the frown she wore. I saw her tug the collar of her black jacket up to her neck when Lila buzzed on.

By then, I reached the end of the aisle and parted the curtain that divided the plane and cockpit, where its pilot had his combat boots nonchalantly kicked up on the dashboard, dangerously close to some important-looking circuitry I didn't dare touch.

"Er— Excuse me," but there was no response. I strained to recall what name the pilot went by. "It's Jake, right? When are we landing?"

My heart leaped with restrained panic churning in my stomach as I realized his eyes were closed and the man was comfortably propped in his seat, the interlaced fingers supporting the back of his head.

"_Hey!_" I raised my voice, and Jake roused with a startle.

"_Hrn?!" _He said dumbly, dazed. He soon angled his torso towards me, cerulean eyes piercing me with a stern gaze. Instantly, I recognized him, from that same bizarre dream.

'_Stay.. down. It's coming this way..'_

Wild manes of shaggy light brown hair shadowed parts of Jake's face. His jaw was generously peppered with a scruffy nine o'clock shadow. The familiar green bomber jacket with the pair of dog tags dangling lazily from his neck looked almost like a perfect replica of the one I dreamed of.

"Didn't they teach ya manners, _Princess_? And that it's incredibly rude t'wake someone who's takin' a nap?" Jake drawled in the same southern accent as I remembered from the dream, though now, it was oozing with irritation.

I blinked indignantly. "Princess?" But before I could protest, he cut me off with a click of his tongue and raised his green jacket-clad shoulders into a shrug.

"Only the ones that _really _get under my skin get nicknames, y'should feel honored," he drew a scoff.

"And maybe _you_ should keep your ego in check, _Aragorn_.."

"'_Aragorn'_?" A brow rose high into his forehead. "..I don't know what you mean."

"Really? _Lord of the Rings_? Best trilogy ever made?"

He shook his head, "That a show you lot watch? Pfh," he huffed, before giving me a sideways glance with his brow still elevated, "Fine. Call me 'Aragorn'. Joke's on you, the man's a badass.''

"But you said—"

"But _you're_ gullible. You college kids believe everything anyone says. It'll get ya killed. 'Course I know Lord of the Rings." The pilot heaved a deep sigh, gluing his eyes to the instrument panel, which I doubted he really cared to check.

"I'm _not _just a 'college kid'."

"That's what a college kid would say. Anyway, calm. We ain't landin' 'til.." The pilot abruptly fixed his posture with a jar, the controls now holding his full attention. I spotted his eyes swelling with dawning realization. "The fuck?" His fingers sought controls to adjust, his brows knitted together. "The time ain't right. Neither is that, or _that_," he said, unsettlingly alarmed. His southern accent sprung out even more. Jake gave the panel a bash of his fist a few times, reminding me of the times my father did the same with our malfunctioning early 2000s computer.

"What's happening? _What's_ not right?"

Unease settled in my chest, but Jake only scoffed. "Shut up for a moment and' let me think. Look, you wouldn't be askin' if you knew even the damndest thing about flyin' a plane. There ain't nothin'—''

A rumble cut through his speech when turbulence hammered at the plane in jolts. I barely caught myself clutching onto the curtain behind me until my body lurched into the wall of the cockpit. "Aah!" I croaked in chorus with Jake, who'd almost tumbled off his chair.

I scrambled back to my feet; the pilot curling his grip around the yoke and attempting to stabilize the plane. "Fuck! That stormfront's closin' in on us. Get in a seat, hear? And tell everyone out there to buckle up!"

"I—" I couldn't speak. The jolting had caught me off guard, and now I stood fixed in place like I hadn't heard him.

"_Now_, Princess!"

Jake yanked me out of my daze. I threw one last glance at the sky, whose color had shifted from a comforting blue to a sickening gray in a matter of minutes. Dark clouds loomed over us and violent gusts of wind rocked the aircraft from side to side like a ragdoll. Loud clamor had erupted from the passengers' side of the plane, to which I whirled around to pace back to my seat. It was a sudden aggressive wave that then swept me clean off my feet, and flung me onto the floor of the aisle with a painful thud. My forearms scraped along the carpet.

"Oh crap, oh crap, I think that—!" I heard Raj cry over the hysteria, throwing a hand over his mouth and making a disturbing gagging noise.

"Don't puke, bro! If you puke, I'm gonna puke!" Craig yelled in reply with his head turned away as held onto his armrest for dear life.

"The hell did this storm come from? It was a clear fucking day!" A girl in a pink blouse shouted angrily, but a tremor in her voice told me that she, too, was scared.

"This stuff happens all the time, okay!" The pilot called out.

"Yeah, sure! Doubt _that _happens all the time!" I got to my feet and followed the gaze of the girl with the undercut out the window where orange balls of lightning coalesced out of the sky in streaks of electricity, leaving behind blaring thundering in its wake.

Lila caught my attention, "Max! Please find a seat! All of you, please keep calm!" My eyes found Diego further down the aisle but instead opted for the seat next to Sean's with a labored huff just as the plane lurched violently. Sean raised an amused brow.

"Lightning? But.." began a girl with puffy chocolate-colored hair that reached her shoulders in curls. "I've never seen anything like this!" she squeaked. Her square glasses sat shakily atop the bridge of her nose. The turbulence clouded her features with fright, an expression found aplenty in the chaos that ensued among the passengers.

"No, no! I can't die being surrounded by morons like them!" Aleister began to plead with himself or with whatever gods he believed found him unworthy enough to die in a more dignified manner. But all he got were some nasty looks from the students that still paid attention to anything besides themselves.

"Oh god, oh god.." The redheaded girl hyperventilated in hefty inhales that she barely held more than a millisecond. Her knuckles were dewed white from clutching onto her chair so tightly when another blistering crack of thunder deafened us. The plane shuddered not quite as it should.

"Aw, shit. Engine's down. Hang on, everybody, I'm bringin' her down manually!"

But the pilot's attempt at calming the crowd only resulted in even more frantic cries of panic. College students were apparently not likely to know that a malfunctioning engine wouldn't mean it could only end in a plane crash, and I was guilty of it myself. Still, I noticed someone sitting so chillingly still, it was as if she were afraid the world would crumble before her. She tugged at the collar of her blue hoodie and pressed herself against the back of her seat. Her brown hair was pulled back tight into a ponytail, and when our eyes met, I could spot a vertical scar lining her right eye.

"Better buckle up for this," Sean commented light-heartedly in an attempt to keep a shred of normalcy. I straightened my back against the chair and went to search for the seat belt.

"I'm trying— I can't find the other side of the belt!" Sean gingerly reached across my lap and held up the strap, which I failed to see in my haste to careen into an airplane seat. I muttered a quick thanks, too unnerved to properly settle in.

"Are you always this calm?" I kept my gaze stubbornly honed in the seat before me. My heart thumped painfully against my ribs.

"Not sure what you'd call it, but it's a certain sense of knowing it'll turn out fine, you know?" he said.

I chuckled nervously. "Isn't that just practicing arrogance in the face of death— or worse?"

"Woah there. We won't be dying today. But to answer you, it's more like _faith_. Isn't too hard to keep a level headed attitude with enough practice," Sean paused for a moment as the plane rocked about dangerously. "What was your name?" he continued. "It's Max. Hi." I said quickly, ending on a stupidly high pitch out of nerves.

"We're almost out! Hang tight!" shouted a voice from the cockpit. And true to his word, a few minutes later, the plane burst out of the eye of the storm, as if it had never been there in the first place. A collective weight was lifted off our shoulders and clamors died down to make way for friendly chatter, and in Raj's case, a roaring cheer to celebrate.

"Wow, Max. Take a look at this view." Sean prodded at the window beside him.

"Get a good look now, 'cause we're comin' in fast!" Jake said from his seat. "Welcome to _La Huerta_."

The plane descended towards our destination. Emerging from the sprawling ocean came a mountainous green speck of land, the jagged form of a volcano rising high above its surrounding rainforest and reaching proudly into the baby blue sky. It breathed a column of white smoke. Waves tickled at the sandy shores that separated thick jungle canopies from the sea.

"La Huerta Tower," Jake began in an uncharacteristically professional tone, which made me lean into the aisle, my ears tingling with piqued curiosity. I saw him tug the mic of his headset to contact the control tower closer to his lips. His accent faded the slightest bit, "This is tail number XC-DMK, requesting emergency priority to land!"

A short moment of silence followed. "Carlos!" Jake dropped the courtesy. "Pick up, you lazy bastard. It's Jake!"

But nothing. "Ignorin' me won't make me forget the hundred bucks ya owe me. Like it or not, we're comin' in!" Jake snarled a bit irately into the mic.

After another five minutes, the plane landed with a jostle on a dirt-laden airstrip. I clicked out of my seatbelt and made my way down the stairs after snatching one of my bags out the overhead compartment.

"Christ," I stretched out my arms and inhaled the humid, warm air. Tropical sunshine hit my skin in pleasant ripples. "I've never been _so_ glad to be alive," I turned to Jake, who meandered down after me. "Better not be working for tips, Aragorn. Don't think passengers tip for bumpy landings, you see."

Jake scoffed. "You kidding? I'm a damn hero for even gettin' you on the ground!" He went to unlock the plane's cargo bay before pressing a hand to his headset, resuming his quest to get ahold of one Carlos.

"Carlos, I need a tune-up! .._Carlos_!" As Jake marched off, the rest of my classmates brought their luggage out from the plane's cargo compartment.

"Oh, this must be heaven! I read that this island is one of the most beautiful places on earth! Oh, the beaches, the waterfalls.. I can't wait!" The ginger girl squealed in delight.

"Not just that, Quinn," called the girl with glasses. "It's also home to a plethora of rare flora and fauna!" She pressed her fingers together, moving to politely wait in line to get her luggage.

"She better not ruin my vacation with her dumb facts 101.." grumbled Craig as he yanked his own luggage out.

Just as I reached for my suitcase handle, Sean's fingers brushed against my hand, which he rapidly retracted. "Oh, sorry!"

"No, no, go and carry my bag if you want."

"Oh my god," another voice piped in. It was the pink bloused girl with heavy makeup caked onto her features, but looking stunning regardless. One could have easily mistaken her for a model. Blonde hair with darkened roots fell down her shoulders in layers and her eyes narrowed into slits, pointed at me like needles. "Could you _be_ any more desperate?"

She'd slung her arms around Sean, who shifted a bit.

"Why do people like you hover around the spotlight like moths? Nothing better to do? God, I grow tired of it."

After a moment of eyeing me with silence as her only reply, she gave a sharp exhale through her nose. "Yeah, uh-huh. See, you're not the first to pine after Sean, so don't be _too_ flattered," the girl remarked at my unconvinced expression as she scanned me from head to toe with squinted eyes.

"Nah, seriously? Sean Gayle? Our star quarterback?" Craig chimed in, looking slightly offended. "..The Heisman forerunner?" But I only shrugged.

"It's fine, you guys—" Sean began, but the insufferable droning of his girlfriend soon drowned him out.

"Look, Sean doesn't need any fame hounds hanging around him, got it?" She added with a dismissive wave of her hand, already growing tired of my presence. Irritation began to bubble in my stomach. I gnawed hard on my lip, hoping to bite away any bitter comments. Instead, I opted for the next best thing on my mind.

"Wow," I said, a hint of exasperation notable when I spoke as I hid my true feelings behind a polite yet sinister smile. "You're really pretty. You must be his girlfriend, right?" I couldn't hide the slight sign of disappointment in my tone, but the girl didn't seem to pick up on it.

Her mouth dropped open and before she left me a chance to add anything, she stammered. "I..— You— Well, yeah! You're right on both counts!"

"Michelle, keep it real. We're _not_ together anymore, and I'm tired of having to keep telling you this," Sean hissed and pried himself off her, which prompted an argument between the two I was sure was a regular occurrence and had little desire to watch unfold.

I pivoted around to seek Diego until a shrill clink brought my attention to whatever my shoe connected with.

I sunk to my knees to scoop an object off the ground and inspected it. Initially, it looked like a plug that had sprung from a plane, but after probing at it more, it made my head tilt. It resembled a dart with a long, metal needle and a red plume protruding from its end like a peacock.

"Is that.. a tranquilizer dart?" Diego paced over, his eyes honing in on the projectile I twirled in my fingers. "Let me see?" He reached a hand out to me, and I dropped the creepy thing in his palm.

"The vial's nearly empty. I guess it hit its target," he said, and an involuntary shudder struck me.

"Seems like a big dose, too. Whatever animal they took down must've been big as well."

"You mean, _if_ they took it down."

"Hey, stop that!" I swatted him on the arm as a shudder quivered down my spine. He still had that impish smile planted on his lips. Diego took out the camcorder. The type you loop your hand through and record via a flip screen. Very old school, very Diego. He recently picked up a love for recording memorable moments and hadn't let go of the camera since. 'A smartphone won't do?' was the first thing I thought back then. But, I guess this was just one of the memorable moments he was looking for. He added no commentary besides our usual chatter, it really was just to capture the moment.

"It must have been poachers of some kind," I said as I swept my eyes over the forest. I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. "The island does have some pretty exotic wildlife."

I then met the figure hovering a bit too close for comfort, peering at the girl in the ponytail that sat so serenely in her airplane seat before.

Was she listening in?

"Diego.. who's that girl?"

"Dunno," he shrugged after throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. "Student from Hartfeld."

I pondered, an eerie feeling settling in my stomach. "Well, yes, but there's something.. _off_ about her."

"What do you mean?"

I craned my head around, doing a mental headcount of the passengers. Me, Diego, Sean, Michelle, Craig, Quinn, Raj, Aleister, the girl with the glasses and the girl that didn't really want to be here.. and then the mysterious girl with the scar.

My voice dropped to a whisper. "I think there's too many of us here."

"Too many? But—"

"No, think about it. Not including our pilot and guide.. Well, there were ten contest winners, right? But count us off.."

Diego finished for me, "She makes eleven."

"Right. And I don't think I've ever seen her before. Who is she?"

As inconspicuous as I could manage, I glimpsed at her. And right then, she stared back. Her gaze caught me firm as a vise. I tried to wrestle away, but I stood frozen. It was like a trance, and she pulled me into an abyss that made me realize that the eyes really were windows to the soul.

"Hey, Lila!" It was the pilot, who coincidentally then ripped my attention out of the strange stupor. His forehead was slick with droplets of sweat and his hair was glistening in the sun. "Where the hell is everyone?! There's nobody here!"

Now that I thought of it, we were the only souls at the airstrip. No personnel had come to fetch us yet.

"..Aha, you see—" Lila chuckled with a bit of uncertainty, which then beckoned a forced smile. "They.. will be here soon to escort us up to the main resort, yes! Yes, it's likely just a slight delay! No need to worry, all, they should be here _any_ minute now.''

"Nah, screw that. I'm goin' up to the control tower for some answers," Jake said. I shifted uncomfortably.

"What's going on here?"

"Dunno," he shrugged. "Call it a gut feelin', but it ain't good. You comin', Princess?"

"Um, okay!" Lila clapped to draw the group's attention. "The rest of you, please follow me! We will hike up the hill to the resort. Let's make a fun outing out of it, yes? Yay!" But her face fell upon spotting Quinn, who had popped off the buttons of her blouse, under which she conveniently wore her bikini. She happily skipped past Lila. Raj, Craig, and Michelle followed suit, chattering among themselves.

"Some of us are gonna explore the beach a little first! We'll meet you guys at the hotel soon!"

Lila nodded before beginning her impressively rehearsed speech to the group that trailed after her to the hotel. My ears caught only a snippet, but enough to leave a good impression.

"The Celestial Hotel and Resort, the jewel of the Caribbean, boasts 25 stories and 1,200 suites of the finest tropical accommodations you can imagine! Built on the island of La Huerta, which means 'The Garden,' the Celestial ranked in Travel and Leisure's top ten global hotels last year! And so.." Lila buzzed on, and she lost my attention.

I trotted after Jake. "Hey, wait up!" He was already advancing towards the control tower at the end of the airstrip, mic pressed close to his mouth. "_Carlos_! Where the hell are you, man?"

"So, it's fine if I join? I might be able to help."

Jake rose a brow with a slight shift of his head. "Ain't gotta ask permission, do you? I invited you. Safe to say you're the least annoyin' company I got at the moment," he said as he slipped off the headset and burrowed both hands into his pockets. "Come on."

We scaled up the rickety, rusty stairs at the tower, which gave a screech with every foot we placed. My eyes fell on the lush rainforest that pompously stretched out throughout the island, unapologetically beautiful. "This is gorgeous.. Do you visit the island often?"

"Yeah, and just about every other privately owned resort island in the Caribbean. Favorite vacation spot of the privileged and their spoiled brats. Ones that ain't worked a day in their life. I'm just here for the money." Despite the clear disdain for the people he flew around, something told me he wasn't referring to us.

"You don't sound like you like it very much, regardless." My hand brushed over the corroding handrails as we ascended, careful not to get caught on the rust.

"Hey, pays the bar tab." The smile that flickered on his lips vanished as soon as it appeared.

"So, _Jake_," I clasped my hands behind my back, "What got you into this business?"

"What gets anyone into anything? I had a plane, a pilot's license, a dishonorable discharge, and an empty bank account," he then stopped. "Hey, this Twenty Questions or somethin'? Stop that," he snapped, whipping around to face me.

"..Sorry." I fell silent after that, but it took only a moment before he continued on his own.

"..Look. I'm from Louisiana, and if the price to never set foot back there again is playin' uber driver to some rich jerks a couple times a week, hell, I'll pay it."

"And the dishonorable discharge?"

"Was in the navy. Fighter pilot," he said, begrudgingly giving in. "Damn good one at that, too."

"What happened?"

"Punched my commanding officer square in the jaw."

I thought a moment. "..He must've deserved it, then?"

"..Yeah. That he did," he grinned to himself. "Been ferrying rich folks around the Caribbean and sleepin' in a beach hammock in Costa Rica ever since."

I let another brief silence hang, contemplating. "Sounds lonely."

"Well, yeah, that's the appeal, Princess."

"I mean— I get wanting some alone time and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the world, but only for a little while. Don't you want something more than that? Like, someone to come home to, someone that listens to you, comfort you when you're sad or upset? You know, another human being?"

Jake's lips formed a lopsided smirk, peering over his shoulder. "You offerin', Princess?"

"What? No—I just meant in _theory_. Wow. You're a real jerk, you know?"

"Live and breathe the stereotype," Jake shrugged. "_In theory_, I wanted to be the best pilot the Navy had ever seen. In practice.. well, y'can't beat a cold beer, kickin' up your feet and watchin' the Caribbean sunset in silence.''

We'd paused on the steps several times as we chatted, which made the walk feel endless. I had a feeling both of us were subconsciously stalling for time, not at all eager to face Jake's foreboding gut feeling.

As we continued to climb the stairs, a step creaked dangerously. "Oh—"

But before I had a chance to react, the metal gave way under my weight and I sensed gravity pull me down. My arms flailed around helplessly, until a sweaty hand expertly curled around my wrist, tugged me forward and yanked me away. "Christ, kid. Can it get any more cliché?" Jake promptly let go and continued on.

I saw rusted fragments of the step twirling elegantly about fifty feet to the ground. I noticed a soft pain in my ankle. No doubt that _that_ would leave a bruise.

"..Jesus. I think you saved my life."

"Are you _tryin'_ to make this cliché? You just owe me one. C'mon."

Jake pushed the door to the control tower open, ready to give poor Carlos a piece of his mind. "Carlos, you dumb—," he began but paused. "Hey, what the?" I then wormed myself past Jake, who stood still at the entrance, eager to see what silenced him.

"..There's no one here," I breathed. Desks with controls as confusing as the plane's lined the windows. It was dark and deserted, and the silence that met us felt heavy.

"Thanks, Eagle Eyes. Couldn't tell."

I paced over to one of many desks. I trailed an index finger over it, which turned up a load of dust. "Are you sure they still use this airstrip?" I looked at him.

"Of course I'm sure. I was _just_ here, a few days ago. An' I'm damn sure.."

But he stopped, enraptured by something just past my shoulder. I followed his gaze towards the window. My jaw fell open.

Just in the distance, the island itself pulsed with eerie red and blue lights. The colors fluttered over trees and covered them like a blanket, tinting the atmosphere in a rippling aurora. I was at a loss for words. It was like a dream, but my body grew rigid with fear. This _wasn't_ normal. "Wha.."

On instinct, and as if magnetically drawn to the phenomenon, I drifted closer, at the same time captivated by the beautiful colors. I placed my palm on the glass and let it hang there for a moment.

"What.. is that?" I rubbed at my eyes. And just like that, it was gone. "What? Jake, did you see—"

But Jake only blinked, still dazed. "_Jake_!"

He snapped out of it, throwing me a lingering side glance as if I was just as strange as the aurora. He coughed.

"Huh? Oh.. Must'a been something weird with the glass here. Don't know, don't care much, neither. C'mon. Nothing else t'see here."

He strode out, and I trailed after him after giving the glass one last look, silently hoping it'd return.

..But everything appeared as it should.

Jake and I gradually wound our way up the paved road, silence lingering between us and only the rolling of my suitcase keeping us company. Fatigue gripped me just as we turned around the bend.

A grand building greeted us. It stood proudly in the sun, at least 20 stories high. Expertly built with an elegant design and a long, ornamented overhang of white marble stretched out towards us. 'The Celestial' and its accompanying whirlpool symbol told us we were at the right place.

"So this is it, huh? Fifty times to this island and never been off the airstrip."

"The Celestial!" I grinned broadly.

"Well, c'mon, then. You paid me to bring y'all here, so that's what I'm doin'."

"So you've never actually stayed here? Are you taking off after this, or are you gonna stick around a bit, Grumpy?"

"Just need Carlos to get the plane refueled, and I'm off. I'm sure the bastard is loungin' around the Celestial, anyways. But, I got a bottle of Anejo callin' my name back in Costa Rica,"

Jake glanced at me, giving me a nod. "Try not to miss me too much, ey?"

The automatic doors slid open, and we entered the lobby which welcomed us with a wave of crisp air conditioning. But my body went cold for another reason.

"What the—," I heard Jake gasp beside me.

The silence is deafening. The front desks stood deserted. Suitcases and carts were scattered, unattended. On a table, a half-finished glass of wine was gathering dust. The rest of the group stood before us, equally bewildered.

Beyond them, the entire hotel was _devoid of life_.


	2. Act I - We've All Got Secrets

**Act I, Chapter Two: **

**We've All Got Secrets**

"Where _is_ everybody? I thought this was a luxury resort?" Michelle called, flinging her hands up in exasperation. She hammered at the gold concierge desk bell. "I mean, _hellooo_!"

Michelle cried out to the deserted foyer, but only echoes responded. The rest of the group stood like an interrupted chain of ants, thrown into confusion.

Thirteen of us stood in the lobby of the majestic Celestial Hotel on the Caribbean island of La Huerta. But instead of a warm and lavish welcome, there was no soul in sight, and the chill of the air conditioning was ever more noticeable.

Sean's brow perked. "So, uh. That'll make for a weird-ass Yelp review."

"The resort staff knew we were arriving this week, right?" asked the bespectacled girl.

"They should know, Grace," assured Quinn. Aha, so the girl with glasses was Grace.

"Hey, come on! We got the hotel to ourselves! That's sick!" Craig exclaimed with the wide grin on his face a stark contrast to the frowns the rest of us wore.

The handle of my suitcase still fastened in my grip when I spoke. "I.. agree with Grace. An abandoned hotel? That's not normal," I cast a glance at Diego. "What if something happened? Like, there should be some logical explanation, right?"

Grace smiled in relief. "I don't want to sound like I'm raining on everyone's parade," she admitted.

"You _are_. Well, kind of," shrugged Craig. "Don't be going full-on monsoon on our parade."

Raj had dived behind the bar and popped his head out, bottles in hand. "At least the booze is still here! Who's up for a Mai Tai?" He lifted the alcohol high, which drew Craig and Jake to him like moths to a flame, but only rest shuffled about, so on edge, I felt like we stood at the rim of a cliff.

"Max, look," Diego called, beckoning me over with a wave of his hand. He held the glass he'd plucked from a nearby coffee table up to me, half full of wine and a stain of red plastered onto its rim. "Fresh lipstick," he tapped it, eliciting a light clink. "It's like they just up and left.."

"But without their luggage?" Quinn pouted, her features wrinkled in confusion.

"Hey— and no service? What the hell?" Michelle asked, apparently the first to have even bothered to check her phone. The rest of us followed to confirm, and she was right.

"Maybe they don't got those phone towers here," Craig suggested with a shrug, sitting by the counter with Raj and Jake, having already fixed themselves a generous amount of booze.

"Are you an imbecile? Of course the island is equipped with cell phone towers!" Aleister hissed at Craig, who by then had already lost interest.

"And how would _you _know that?" said the girl with the undercut, who now had a doubting brow raised at Aleister.

"..Er. Well, you— I'm—" Aleister sputtered, unsure what to say in a moment of panic that only encouraged the girl's suspicion. But he soon gathered his composure and straightened his posture, "Perhaps because I pay attention? They were plainly visible in the distance on our approach."

"Max? I'm getting majorly freaked out," I heard Diego murmur to me, angling himself away from Aleister.

"But.. everything that used electricity worked just fine," I said to myself, my brows furrowed. "And there _are_ cellphone towers, so why? Was there an incident?"

"Like a gas leak or something? And everyone had to evacuate," Diego reasoned, but I was unsure how convinced I was.

"Not implausible, actually—" Grace paced over to us. "The island hosts an active volcano, after all."

I turned to scan over the group, in search of the person who might have something close to an answer. But our familiar yellow polo shirt was absent. "Lila?" I called.

"Has anyone seen Lila!?" Diego added.

The students similarly threw around glances. Diego started for the exit with me in tow. The rest soon followed us outside, where we found our tour guide— the one person we could expect to rely on— pacing back and forth repetitively with her gaze downcast and a hand clasped over her mouth.

"Lila? Are you okay?" asked Grace, concern evident. Lila's mouth formed a small 'o', her features rising in a startle. She immediately plastered a smile on her face, one she didn't have the time to put on convincingly.

"Oh, me? I'm doing _great_! There's nothing to worry about, I'm very sure! No worries, everyone! I bet it was just a fire alarm test, very unfortunately just by the time we arrived here! Or perhaps a surprise picnic elsewhere on the beach! Who knows? So please, everyone, calm down!"

Jake leisurely strolled after us with hands tucked into his pockets. "Yeah. Pretty sure _Care Bears_ descended from the heavens and escorted everyone to Happy-Happy Land!" He pulled his lips into a wide, feigned grin for good measure.

"Jake, _not _helping," Sean hissed through clenched teeth.

"And that's not even how it works.. have you ever even _watched_ an episode of _Care Bears_?" Raj commented under his breath, frowning.

Jake spared Raj only a brief, unsettled glance before rotating to meet Sean instead and adopting an irked tone. "Oh, _pardon_ me, but I ain't gonna be playin' storytime. Find some goddamned real answers. I'm not here to help y'all live out your dream vacation, nah. I'm here to get _paid_." He spread his arms, palms to the sky, and gestured around, "And right now, there ain't nobody here to pay me."

"So, you'll have to help. We'll get _real answers_ if we devise a plan, and someone shows initiative— shows leadership," Sean challenged with narrowed eyes. "Looks like you're not up to the task."

"Hah!" Jake gave a short, derisive bark of laughter. "You talkin' about yourself? Throwin' a ball around and that qualifies you to talk to _me_ about leadership? Nah, this ain't elementary school, pretty boy."

They took deliberate steps closer to one another, squaring off.

"Guys, please!" I cried, my brows knitting together in frustration. "We're not here to bicker like little kids in a standoff, much less—"

"Whoa, I don't need you preachin' over here, _Princess_," Jake snapped back, which put a pause to their dispute long enough for Sean to press his lips into a taut line and back off.

My lips turned to a frown, a flicker of hurt catching my eyes at the crude reply.

"Now that we're all buddy-buddy again," said Diego. "What now?" I saw some quietly hopeful glances fall on me, others on Jake and Sean, who by then had put much distance between each other and looking equally upset.

"Uh? ..Well, we could split up? Search the hotel? Maybe it'll give us a clue as to what happened, right?"

"Yes, good! Good idea, Max!" Lila chimed with renewed energy.

"Hmm.. maybe there's something to find at the pool?" Grace mused aloud.

"The pool, huh? Sounds great. I can already feel the way the lounge chairs and Caribbean sun are calling to me. I'll trust brains over here," then Jake promptly snapped his fingers, fully rotating towards Grace. "Aha. Got it. You're _Brain Trust _from now on," he said, and I wondered if he'd ever get tired of his own repetitiveness.

"Yo, Craig, if things were normal, what would _we_ be doing right now?"

"Uhh.. eating?"

"Yeah, exactly," Raj grinned. "We'll be taking the restaurant."

"Good, good! And where will you look, Zahra?"

The girl with the undercut, Zahra, gave a terse response. "Don't care."

"Well.. how about the ballroom? Sounds fun, right?" Lila suggested with a perked brow.

"Still don't care."

"Well, in that case," I said. "I'll check out the ballroom with you. Never been to one— not one of those fancy ones, at least," I said as Lila beckoned Zahra and me with her. The rest of the group scattered to form smaller parties and split off.

But a sudden realization grasped me and made me stop in my tracks. I turned back, doing a headcount of the students. Ten. The girl in the blue hoodie had vanished.

I shared a brief look with Diego, who spotted my concerned face. I had to shake off the uneasy feeling. I was here to look for answers, not to be paranoid.

I joined up with Lila, Zahra, and Quinn, who made a last-moment decision to be productive and opt for the ballroom instead of goofing around at the pool.

We entered the lobby and began our search for the ballroom. On our way, we came across Raj and the others scouring the restaurant and passing the pool where Diego bummed around with Jake. I heaved a sigh. The pilot sure talked big while having a macho show-off with Sean about finding '_real_' answers, only to join Diego in soaking up the tropical sun.

We finally stumbled across an ornate and important looking entrance somewhere in the hotel. With Lila beside me, we pushed the doors open to what we presumed was the ballroom.

It was as impressive as one would expect from a resort as luxurious as The Celestial. Grand chandeliers of crystal glass were suspended from the ceiling, highlighted by alabaster and cobalt blue wallpaper. Round tables that were cloaked in white table cloths dotted the floor, leaving however a clear pathway towards a dais, upon which stood a wooden archway that was intertwined with flowers. The staff of the hotel had lined chairs before it, most likely for the attendees.

"Huh.. were they in the middle of a wedding?"

"Oh, great, Max here to state the obvious," Zahra commented as she blew black locks of hair out her face, hands still safely tucked in her pockets. I could spot the beginnings of a smile forming, however, "Dunno how we would'a survived without her commentary."

"You enjoy being the jerk?" I said.

Zahra smirked back, raising a brow. "Two in a row. Look at you, you're on a roll!"

"What happened here?" Lila guided her hand over the back of the chairs. "Everything's perfectly intact. Champagne poured, the flowers arranged.. Did the alarm go off in the middle of the ceremony, perhaps?"

I stepped up the dais. "The flowers are real, too, I think, which means the personnel can't have been gone for long. They would've dried up otherwise."

Zahra scoffed. "Bride 'prolly realized that marriage is a joke. Hightailed it right outta there."

"Marriage _isn't _a joke," I defended. "And they mean nothing without love, anyway." My mind raced towards Sean, but I quickly shook it off. The thought colored my cheeks pink, though I hoped to pass it off as overheating. I was a bit of a hopeless romantic, I properly realized, even if Diego had told me many times before.

"You really think?" Quinn laced her fingers together, her expectant look bringing me back to the present. She looked relieved to see someone agree.

"Thought you were only a captive of the marital-industrial complex, but you're much more of a sap than I could possibly imagine," Zahra shuddered as she reached for a lonesome bottle of white wine. She popped off the cork, prompting Lila to speak up. "Zahra!" She reprimanded, "Don't do that! That's not ours!"

"Can't report me to anyone, now, can you? Psh. Gimme a break," Zahra drawled, moving to pour herself a glass. "Last _I_ checked, this was still a vacation, and that calls for alcohol."

By the time I sauntered over, Zahra had filled another glass, plucking it up and presenting it to me, "Here, sap."

I accepted, taking a sip of wine after clinking glasses with her. Soon, a sweet fruitiness tingled my taste buds and left the familiar burning of alcohol in its wake. "That's.. great. I'm not usually one for wine, but they went all out on this."

"True. This really is some good stuff. Must'a spent a fortune on these."

"Quinn? Do you want a sip?" I offered when I spotted her lingering by our table.

She pondered a moment, before reaching for the glass. "Ah, what the hell! You only live once, right? Here's my chance!" Quinn grinned, pouring a heavy gulp down her throat like a madwoman. I culled the bottle off the table, my eyes falling upon its label. "Whoa. Wait a moment— this is from 1922!"

"Oh, no, no!" Lila cried, frantically making her way over. "Zahra, you just uncorked an eight-hundred-dollar bottle of wine! Oh, my boss will kill me!"

Zahra let out a hearty burp, telling us precisely the amount she cared. "Meh, it wasn't _that_ good."

"Wait— all of them are from around that year! See? 1919.. 1924.." Quinn exclaimed, who had paced back and forth to examine all the bottles individually. "Who in the world would spend _that _much on wine?"

Zahra pinched her chin between index finger and thumb in feigned contemplation. "And the answer to that, my friends, is 'crazy rich people who have little else to spend their billions on'."

We soon began making our way back, leaving only as confused as we entered. Zahra had the wine bottle still in hand, having said 'Whatever, but I'm bringing the booze', before stealing some rich dude's fancy alcohol.

We arrived at the foyer, the restaurant, and pool group already there, idling about after a fruitless search. I noticed Jake and Grace were curiously absent. I waved Diego off as I wound my way through the labyrinthine halls of The Celestial and headed towards the swimming pool to fetch them.

I pushed past the glass doors and brought a hand up to shield my eyes from the descending sun, peering around. A warm breeze tickled my skin and the sunlight hit just right, giving our surroundings a tropical air.

With the rest gone, I couldn't help but let my attention fall on lone someone that unapologetically lounged about. I strode purposefully towards the hammock in which the figure of our pilot lay collapsed in. Awfully comfortably, might I add.

"Well, well, well!"

Jake pried open one eye. "Ah! If it isn't the princess!" And he lazily closed it again, his hands folded behind the back of his head. "See, bein' stuck here a while.. maybe it ain't so bad, after all!"

I pressed my lips together thoughtfully. I hopped closer and grabbed the ends of the hammock. Before he had time to react, I gave it a good tug upwards, and Jake came rolling right off the other side with a big 'oof'.

"Come on and get out, the rest is waiting on you."

"Oi! Let's start with a kind 'please', next time?!" He demanded, obviously irked. I only ushered Jake towards the exit, when my eye caught Grace, sunk to her knees by a damaged part of the fence enclosing the pool. "Grace?" I called, "Are you coming? Everyone's already at the lobby."

"Oh, sorry! Yes, I'll be right there," she said, rising to her feet and deftly tucking an object under her cantaloupe sweater before hurrying to catch up.

We were the last to return to the foyer. The group was occupied with sharing their finds with one another. Or lack thereof.

"At the restaurant, there was this thing up on the volcano, right? Like a light. It was there, then disappeared the next second!" Craig wildly gestured with his hands, Sean having to translate. "It was most likely a lighthouse."

"And in the ballroom, we stumbled onto a wedding straight out of the Roaring Twenties! The wine was all from that period," Quinn finished.

As everyone chatted on, I noticed Aleister loitering by his lonesome in front of a towering painting of a goateed man. I curiously tipped my head to the side as I approached. He looked awfully familiar, but I had trouble pinning where I'd seen him before.

_You don't understand, do you? No, how could you? But just give it time.._

"Who is that?"

"Hrn? Oh, Max." Aleister threw a dazed look at me before it shifted to indifference and rotated back towards the man. "Everett Rourke. C.E.O. of Rourke International, owner of The Celestial. Et cetera, et cetera."

"Rourke? He looks familiar.. I think I've seen him before."

"Hmph. Yes, Max, who hasn't?" Aleister huffed, rolling his eyes back. "Visionary, genius, conqueror of every industry," he said, a hint of embitterment in his tone. He sneered up at Rourke's portrait, which portrayed him holding a sword of gleaming emerald. "_I_ still think he looks like a fool." Aleister marched off, only to collide with Grace on his way.

I saw his features shift. "Grace, I— " For a second, just a second, Aleister looked remorseful, until he plastered on the pompous facade again. "Watch where you're going, fool." He brushed past her, and Grace's face fell.

"Hello, Max. Do you have a moment to talk, maybe? I need to tell you something. You seem like someone I can trust."

"Yes, what is it? Look, Grace— if it's about Aleister, please don't take it personally, he's always like this."

We walked over to an unoccupied corner of the lobby.

"No, no, not that— it's not that." She fiddled with her thumbs.

"Are you okay?" I asked, and she looked at me hesitantly. "Hey, if you have a secret, you don't need to share it if you don't want to."

"Really?"

"Of course. I just hope you'll do the right thing. And you'll tell us when you're ready, right?"

Grade bit down on her lip and shifted her weight. She then pulled the object out from under her sweater, showing it to me. "See, Max, I found this by the fence at the pool. The bars there were, well.." She paused, unsure of how to word it. "Twisted. And they're metal."

It was an abnormally large, sharp tooth, withered from the days it lay outside. I felt my jaw drop. It was something I'd never seen on any animal before. Hell, it could have _easily _fit into the mouth of a predatory dinosaur. Grace struggled to hold it up, seeing her jitter, but perhaps they were from the nerves.

"Hold up. Grace, this is like a foot long! What?" And I wondered if it was connected to the empty tranquilizer dart Diego and I found.

"Hmhm. It may be prehistoric, but whatever animal it came from, it's _big_. I didn't want to show it. I was afraid to put everyone on edge. Scare them.. The way it scared me when I found it." Grace sucked in a deep breath. "But I realized we're all in this together. Everyone should know."

Grace was right. But when we presented it to the rest, it left them just as alarmed as I was.

"Nah, no way. This is a fossil. Nothin' alive these days with teeth _that _size." Jake said, sounding unsure if he even convinced himself. Everyone else fidgeted, unsure what to make of it.

"So, the whole search was for nothing?" Sean frowned and passed us all a glance. "We still have no idea where everyone went? We only have more questions, and this is the only clue we got?"

"So, what we gonna do now?" Zahra said.

"Go to bed and get some rest." A voice materialized just behind me. I wheeled around to find the girl in the blue hoodie standing by us. Seems like no one else had seen her enter, either, judging by their equally surprised looks. "Night's upon us. Get some rest," she repeated.

"Ah, _Estela_! There you are! I was getting worried."

Estela? Lila knew her? Was she _not_ the extra passenger, then? I couldn't stop myself from throwing everyone an apprehensive look.

"Where have you been all this time?" Lila asked.

"Looking around. Same as you lot," Estela answered in her dull voice, one very monotone.

"And? Did you find anything?" Michelle spoke up impatiently.

"Nothing that matters to you people."

"Hey, at least let _us _decide that?" I frowned, folding my arms over my chest.

"..We've all got secrets." Estela gave me a pointed look. She then turned to bound over the check-in desk and snatched a room key off the wall. "I won't say it again. Night is falling. Get some rest. You're going to need it." With that, she paced off and disappeared from sight, leaving our group in confused silence.

"Okay, and what's _that _supposed to mean?" Sean was the one to break it.

"Think she meant it's nighttime, bro," Craig replied.

"Well.. it _is _getting late. We need to be ready to greet everyone when they return from.. wherever they are.. So!" Lila put on the artificial smile Rourke International taught her. "Everyone, please take the key to your assigned room from behind the desk!"

"Assigned?" Zahra snickered, her lips askew in a smirk. "Heh. Good one."

She then nimbly reached up and jerked a key off its hook, one that looked like a queen chess piece. "Taking a penthouse suite. Hotel's empty, right? Later, suckers!" She then quickly sped off with her trunk carting behind her.

"I call dibs on that one!" I seized the opportunity to briskly vault the counter and similarly plucked a key off the wall that was looped into a heart. The others soon followed in ensuing chaos to get the best rooms.

"Don't mind if I do!" Jake smiled slyly, the third to steal one of the decorative keys. I was already making my way towards the elevator with my luggage.

I mashed the 'close door' button right as Jake came jogging after me, hoping to catch the one still at ground level. "Oi! Princess!" But the doors shut, and I saw him off with a two-fingered salute off the top of my head. "Adios, amigo!"

The elevator rose at a leisurely pace and offered soothing music for company. The doors expanded to reveal a long, generously decorated hallway with everything money could buy. I felt myself sink into the carpet slightly as I wandered down the corridor. "Six hundred and seventy.. Six hundred and seventy-one.. Ah!"

I jolted the key into its lock and turned. The door swung open, and I was met with a heavy breeze that smelled strongly of the sea. It revealed a sprawling, multi-bedroom suite with a balcony overlooking a moonlit beach. The room was decorated with a beige and red color theme and a duo of inviting couches beckoned me towards them. Between two armchairs sat a coffee table with a pair of glasses and its accompanying wine bottle. From the entrance, I could spot an unnecessarily large jacuzzi in another room. But hey, I wouldn't be complaining. Rose petals and wavering scented candles lead all the way to the bed. I let go of my suitcase handle. "Whoa."

Then, after I thoroughly admired the room, a knock at the door woke me from my amazement. My heart thumped in my chest. Sean?

I hastened towards a nearby mirror and smoothed the wrinkles out of my shirt, but I figured it did little for the sweat stains lined beneath my armpits. I brushed some hair out of my face and opened the door.

"'Sup," Diego greeted me dryly.

"..Oh. Hey, Diego."

"And? Expecting someone else?" He wandered past me after giving me a nudge with his elbow.

"What? Pf— _No_!"

"Uh-huh, yeah, sure. I know you too well, Maxie."

"Almost thought you were gonna say 'Maxine'."

"No, I value my life, thank you very much! It's fancy to use in formal situations, though, isn't it?" he grinned. "But! If you're crushing on someone here, I'm gonna figure out who it is." He strolled in and whistled when he surveyed my room.

"Okay, no fair. How come you get your own private hot tub? Is it too late to trade?"

"You snooze, you lose," I stuck out my tongue.

Diego launched himself into the air and belly-flopped onto the neatly done bed, huffing with exhaustion. I plopped down beside him with a deep sigh and ruffled his hair.

"What a day..!"

"What youthink's going on here, munchkin?" I asked.

"I only know this because, as you know, I watch an unhealthy amount of movies— but remember how I was saying I wanted this week to be an adventure? One that'll stay with us forever?" Diego closed his eyes. "Maybe.. just _maybe.. _the universe is finally listening?" He snorted at himself not a second later. "Though, given my luck with the universe, I'll probably be back in reality come morning— Getting bullied again by the world. The usual."

The self-deprecating comment made my heart pang with hurt. Diego had a target painted on his back from the moment he entered elementary school, so some kids naturally threw derogatory names and slurs at him. He was Hispanic, into guys, came from a conservative family, came to school with hand-me-downs, you name it. The checkered shirt he wore was a gift from me, one of the few clothing articles that weren't secondhand. Bullies always found something to tease him about, and it destroyed his self-esteem. But I was always there to comfort him.

"Sometimes.. You just gotta force the universe to listen. Whether it wants to or not."

Diego laughed. "And you say _I'm _the ridiculous one?" and grabs a pillow from the bed, lightly whacking me with it. I fell onto the bed, submerging into the blanket.

The sound of something falling to the floor silenced us. "Huh?" I rolled onto my stomach and found an object fluttering to the floor. I unfurled an old, yellowed slip with notably worn edges. It looked decades old. Someone had written on it in beautiful looping ink.

"_I must see you one last time before tomorrow.. Meet me at our spot in Neptune Cove. Midnight_," I turned the paper around. "..It was sealed with a kiss. Here, see the lipstick?"

"There's more, look. But in different handwriting," Diego leaned over. "_I'll be there_. Huh. Steamy rendezvous if I've ever heard one. Neptune Cove's on the other side of the island, I believe. Real secluded. Could that be where everyone went?"

"I don't think so. This looks years old."

Just then, more pounding at the door drew our attention away. I hopped to my feet and opened it. This time, half the group had somehow found the penthouse I stayed in. Well, everyone saw me pick one of the fanciest keys, so I guess it wasn't much of a secret.

"'Sup, Max!" Raj greeted me with some others grouped behind him.

"What up,_ what up_!" Craig hollered, holding a bottle of alcohol high in the air.

"We're heading to the pool to rage. Yeah, that's right. It's a Raj Rage!" Raj grinned.

"Weren't you all going to sleep?" Though, honestly, it didn't surprise me much that college kids stayed up to party instead.

"Pfft. We got all the time in the world to sleep," said Zahra.

"Shots up!" Raj uncorked a bottle and started pouring out drinks for everyone who conveniently traveled with their own stolen fancy wine glass. I felt Diego nudge my side again, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, where some colorful lights reached the balcony. I sidled over to the railing and went to peer down, where I spotted several of the group lazing around the pool area and setting up party lights.

"I was hoping this would happen," Diego whispered to me.

"Well, I don't know, it's late. And I wanted to take an early morning stroll," I wavered, as I always did. Diego knew I avoided wild parties.

"Come on, Max. You'll always have time to feed your morning stroll cravings. But we promised we would make the most out of this trip. I _know_ you're not too fond of parties, but these are all people we know! Perhaps this one is different."

"So, Max, you're coming, right?" Sean peeked into my room. Suddenly, I felt much more inclined to accept. "Alright, fine," I said.

We headed down to the pool level, where Grace and Quinn were busy stringing up party lights. "Oh! There they are!" Grace grinned when she spotted Diego and me.

"Love what you've done with the place."

"We found all these in the supply shed by the towels!" Quinn hopped off the stool they stood on to hang up the lights, and her eyes lit up with mirth. "Grace rewired the circuits to make the lights sync with the music!"

"Not bad!" I said with a thumbs up before following Diego over to the poolside bar, where he leaned into the counter. We found Jake shaking up cocktails. "How'd they rope you into tending the bar, Jake? You lose a bet?" Diego asked.

"Pssh, as if I've _ever _lost a bet." He stood laggardly but pulled his lips into an amused grin. "You should'a seen the kinds of drinks these maniacs were pourin'," Jake pointed an accusatory finger at Craig. "For example, Drax over here just filled his to the brim with _cinnamon_ _whiskey_."

"What? I call it the Aggro-Craig! That's my go-to!" Craig called indignantly from the seat beside Diego, finishing a gulp from his drink

Jake finished pouring the cocktail in a frosted glass and slid it down the bar into Craig's hand. "Try that."

Craig pushed the whiskey aside and slurped some of Jake's cocktail down. I guess it was pretty impressive since it left him with a bewildered expression. Or perhaps Craig was just easy to impress. "..Whoa. That just blew my mind."

"It's called a Sazerac. Consider yourself enlightened," Jake bent down into a bow.

"Can I get something?" I slipped onto a barstool.

"I'm gonna be pourin' drinks all night, aren't I? Okay, Princess, what's your poison?"

"Make a new drink! Inspired by me," I cracked a brief smile, lacing my fingers together on the counter.

"Inspired by you, huh? Hmm.." He held my gaze for a long moment, the beginnings of a smile forming. Before I returned it, he got to mixing. Having no knowledge of mixology, I could hardly accurately describe what the hell he was doing. All I knew is that soon enough, I had a fresh, strangely colorful drink gliding towards me. I put it to my lips and..

"Huh.. hard to describe. Salty and sweet, tangy and bitter, dry and fruity," I furrowed my brows, smacking my lips like a faux-alcohol aficionado.

"Yeah. It doesn't know what it wants t'be just yet.. but I think it has the potential to be anything."

I pulled a pleasantly surprised face. "That's.. surprisingly thoughtful, Jake."

"Y'had to go and qualify that with 'surprisingly', huh? I can't be 'typically' thoughtful?" He put a hand to his chest, feigning hurt.

"Nope! Thanks for the drink, Aragorn!" I walked off to mingle with the others with my new drink in hand.

I joined Diego, who'd moved over to the barbecue where Raj stood with a white apron hanging over his protruding belly. He was busy grilling what looked to be various skewers. "Behold the deliciousness that is _shrimp and veggies skewers_, Max!" He held out one of them.

"Bon appétit," I chowed down and immediately hummed in satisfaction, nodding to Raj approvingly, who grinned back.

"Seems like _you're _having a good night," Diego said as I took another sip of my drink, which I decided to name _Maxa colada._

"It's nice getting to know everyone, actually," I replied, but Diego was busy peering past me over my shoulder.

"Max," Diego motioned for me to lean in.

"Look who showed up," he said, nudging his head towards the silhouette illuminated by the moonlight, almost ethereally so. "Estela?"

He nodded. She sat high on the hill that overlooked the party, watching it from a distance and framed by the starry sky. We coincidentally met eyes, but this time, it was she who looked away.

"Please watch my drink, will you?"

I hopped off my seat and plucked a blanket folded over a nearby lounge chair. I draped it over my shoulders and soon made my way towards her.

She sat perched at the sheer edge with her legs limply dangling over. I huffed cold breaths of air when I scaled up the hill. The rustling of footsteps behind her made Estela's attention veer over to me. "What is it?"

The monotony prompted a moment of silence. "Just thought you might want some company."

She gave no response besides releasing her fixed look and rotating it back towards the night sky.

"..Sorry to have bothered you," I gave in, getting ready to leave.

"No. Stay." Sincerity dripped from the curt words. I lowered myself down beside her, allowing my legs to hang over the cliff face. Far below, the Caribbean rolled soothingly against the jagged rocks. Estela's hair fell gently across her face in a way that still showed the reflection of the shimmering stars overhead in her dark eyes.

"I brought you something, if you're cold," holding out the fuzzy blanket to her, she instinctively recoiled.

"Why?"

"I.. don't know." I barely concealed the hurt on my face. "To be nice?"

Frankly, I felt guilty for having doubted her so. Judging by the look in Estela's eyes, she really did seem to be hurting. And apparently, she'd rather be in her own company than the company of the rest of the students, who I was sure would offer her a sense of togetherness she needed if she just asked.

Her shoulders sagged, and I noticed some tension dissolve. She accepted the blanket and put it over her shoulders.

"..Thank you."

Estela threw her head back to gaze longingly at the sky, where countless stars glittered across the dark. I felt myself copy the pining in my expression as we both stargazed, not wanting to break the spell that hung over the air— the photographic stillness with only the sounds of nature keeping us company.

But after a while, it was Estela who broke it. "Where I'm from, people don't do things for you without expecting something in return."

"Well.. maybe people just want to be liked in return?"

She gave a dull laugh. "Isn't that pathetic? How lonely we all are?" She turned to me. "But at least _you're _honest about it." And for the first time, I saw a smile treading Estela's lips.

Perhaps I was naïve, but I felt the way I doubted her before ebbing away like the waters below us.

We sat together in silence once more, letting the infinite field of the stars engulf us. It felt like I belonged there, strangely enough. A certain sense of longing after something you can't have. My chest shrunk as I gave a gravelly exhale and my breath coming as a cloud in the cold night air.

"You're cold, too," She noted, and before I knew it, she scooted over and wrapped the blanket over my back. Together, we huddled under it. "Thank you," I smiled, and she returned it.

Suddenly, a pair of shooting stars streaked across the sky. They vanished seconds later.

My hand shot out from under the blanket, index pointed. "Did you see that?" Never had I _ever_ seen something so fairytale-like. The aurora, the shooting stars.. The island was as beautiful as it was strange.

But it was as if I offended her, since Estela abruptly shot up to her feet and yanked the blanket off. "I have to go," she paused for a moment. "Look, Max. The people in my life usually end up getting hurt. And I don't mean their feelings."

"Estela, wait—"

"You seem like a good person, see. Don't want that to happen to you."

She then turned and marched off, fading into the dark, leaving me alone. I waited a few minutes, hopeful she'd return. But it was a futile thought to begin with. After a short while, sloped down the hill back to the party, my feet dragging behind me.

Just then, I heard Craig bellow, "Watch this, everyone!" He clambered up the nearby gazebo and perched at the edge, readying himself to plunge in.

"Craig, that's clearly against pool regulations!" Aleister yelled.

"Oh, yeah? I see nothing that says 'No badasses allowed'!" With that, Craig launched himself into a cannonball and slammed into the pool. A tsunami of water hit and drenched anyone unlucky enough to stand by the poolside. Diego was one of them. "Pfffhfh..!" He sputtered.

"Don't worry, I'll get you some towels!" I volunteered, leaving the blanket somewhere and heading past the pool toward the supply shed on the beach.

As I treaded on, the overhead lights that flanked the path to the supply storage flickered, leaving wide pools of darkness. I idly kicked at some wacky-looking seashells, making a mental note to myself to collect some tomorrow. I pushed the creaky door open and began scooping a heap of towels into my arms until a strange rustling from outside the shed stopped me.

"Huh?" I waddled out with a stack of towels in hand and peered past the fence that divided the beach and rainforest, my eyes gradually adjusting to the dark. The moonlight didn't seem to penetrate the thick canopy, leaving whatever crinkled below the trees in the dark. I stepped closer.

A gasp got caught in my throat, and I threatened to choke on it. A sinewy silhouette with rippling muscles trotted closer. Its inhuman eyes glowed maliciously.

It came so suddenly, I couldn't stop myself from screaming. I instinctively dropped the towels and twisted my feet to bolt out of there. But in my haste, I failed to take into account the fact sand significantly slowed down my movements, so I instead lost balance and fell. It pushed the breath out of my lungs, leaving me gulping for air.

"Max!" My name rang in my ears. "Are you okay!?"

It was Sean and several others that came sprinting over and kneeled by my side. They followed my gaze into the dark rainforest. I stared, but the reflective eyes were gone.

"Max! What happened? Did you see something?" Quinn panted, evidently worried.

"What was it?" Jake demanded.

"I— I don't know.."

15


End file.
